Storytelling

[blibblobblib]

Saw this at the cinema on a very bored night at the beginning of the year....came out even more bored and confused.

I think it starred John Goodman and it was a black comedy about a ruined and awful documentary film maker making a documentary on a young boys hugh school life, which is inevitably ruined by the film makers. Very starnge film and it wasnt what i was expecting so i came out frustrated and annoyed. But looking back it was quite funny and weird.
Can any one shed some light on it? maybe your own ideas on what the film was about? i seem to remember a little kid who hypnotises john Goodman? strange... :dizzy:

[Piddzilla]

Can't be too bad if it was nothing like what you expected, right? :D

[linespalsy]

i really liked it.
it was a refreshingly cynical and honest look at the creative process as a basis for narcissism. everyone in this movie is an oportunist, whether they're aware of it or not, using writing or film to sell some aspect of themselves for something in return (usually sex). very harsh, but surprising departure for the director, i think this movie is chock full of self criticism (which is one thing i didnt see in his two previous films: 'happiness' and 'welcome to the dollhouse') particularly the second piece, which comes off as a cynical and ultra critical portrait of cynicism itself.
on the other hand, parts of the film seem incomplete or thrown together, idea-wise. overall i prefer the first bit to the second one, and feel the movie might have worked better had it been done as an anthology of shorts along the same lines as the first.
still, another great job by todd solondz.

ps: did you pick up on the little jab solondz made at 'american beauty' in the 'nonfiction' segment? probably the funniest thing in the whole movie.

hope that helps.

[blibblobblib]

i knew it was by the same guy who done "happiness". Ive been meaning to see that, ive heard a lot of things about it. But yeah it just totally caught me off gurad. I dont remember the dig at "American Beauty", ill have to watch it again i think...

[Holden Pike]

Check out my comments from back in January, posted HERE (http://www.movieforums.net/showthread.php?s=&postid=33515#post33515post33515).

[Mary Loquacious]

Originally posted by linespalsy
ps: did you pick up on the little jab solondz made at 'american beauty' in the 'nonfiction' segment? probably the funniest thing in the whole movie.


I, too, liked Storytelling quite a bit--it's maybe the closest we'll ever get to a Todd Solondz on Todd Solondz.

Linespalsy, is the jab you're talking about the title of the documentary ("American Scooby")? If so, I don't think it's aimed towards American Beauty, as American Movie (or, at least, Solondz's reaction to it) was the basis for that entire segment. Mike Schenk, from AM, even has a bit role as the documentarian's inept cameraman.

[linespalsy]

no, i'm talking about one of the early cuts of 'american scooby', the one with the sarcastic 'plastic shopping bag' bit. i thought it was showing solondz's reaction to that film, that he was trying to say how he couldnt with a straight face tell a story about the 'hidden beauty' of people (a central theme of 'american beauty.')
i've never even heard of 'american movie', so can't comment.

[Mary Loquacious]

no, i'm talking about one of the early cuts of 'american scooby', the one with the sarcastic 'plastic shopping bag' bit. i thought it was showing solondz's reaction to that film, that he was trying to say how he couldnt with a straight face tell a story about the 'hidden beauty' of people (a central theme of 'american beauty.')

Oh, yes! I'd forgotten about the plastic bag thing--good call.

I like the "hidden beauty" theme. This also goes along, thematically, with American Movie, as it's a documentary about Mark Borchard, a struggling independent filmmaker in Wisconsin, whose life is basically exposed for its comedic value while being, to the subject of the documentary completely serious. The guy's a f*ck-up, but he doesn't realize it, and the documentary shows that in glaring detail.

And it is funny... but you feel horrible for laughing. And I wonder how Mark felt when he saw the documentary for the first time.